How to use
- Enter the area in the Value field, using a decimal point if needed.
- Select the unit you are starting from: m², km², ft², yd², acre or ha.
- Select the target unit in the To list.
- Press Convert and read the result, given to up to 10 significant digits.
- Round to a sensible precision — property areas are rarely accurate beyond the nearest square metre or square foot.
- For local units such as marla, kanal or bigha, convert to m² first and apply your local definition, because those vary by region.
Formula / how it works
Area units are squares of length units, so every factor here comes from an exact length definition. The tool converts your number to square metres and then into the target unit:
result = value × m²-per-unit(from) ÷ m²-per-unit(to)
The factors it uses:
- 1 ft² = 0.3048² = 0.09290304 m² (exact, from the 1959 international foot)
- 1 yd² = 0.9144² = 0.83612736 m² (exact)
- 1 acre = 43,560 ft² = 4046.8564224 m² (exact)
- 1 hectare (ha) = 100 m × 100 m = 10,000 m²
- 1 km² = 1,000,000 m² = 100 ha
Why squaring matters. A common mistake is to convert a length factor and forget to square it. One metre is 3.28084 feet, but one square metre is 3.28084² ≈ 10.7639 square feet. If someone divides 139 m² by 3.28 instead of multiplying by 10.76, they get a "42 ft²" flat — an obvious red flag. Because the tool stores squared factors, it cannot make that slip.
Acres and hectares in practice. An acre was historically the land one ox team could plough in a day, standardised as 1 furlong × 1 chain (660 ft × 66 ft). A hectare is a 100 m square, a little under 2.5 acres (1 ha ≈ 2.4710538 acres). Agricultural statistics in most of the world use hectares; the US, UK property market and Pakistan's revenue records frequently still use acres. A football pitch for comparison is about 0.7 ha.
The US survey foot. Until 2022, some US land records used the survey foot (1200/3937 m), which makes an acre about 4 ppm larger. NIST has retired it for new work, and this tool uses the international foot. The difference only matters for very large surveyed tracts.
Gross versus carpet area. The converter changes units; it does not know what was measured. Real-estate listings may quote covered, built-up or super-built-up area, which can be 15–30% larger than usable carpet area. Convert like with like before comparing two properties.
Precision. Results are returned with 10 significant digits via toPrecision(10). Converting 4046.8564224 m² back to acres returns exactly 1 for that reason, but long chains of conversions can show tiny floating-point tails you should round off.
Worked examples
One acre in square metres
Inputs: 1, From acre, To m²
Enter 1 and pick acre → m². The tool multiplies by 4046.8564224 and divides by 1, then trims to 10 significant digits.
Result: 4046.856422
Roughly a 63.6 m square.
Apartment listing in ft²
Inputs: 1500, From ft², To m²
A listing says 1500 ft². Enter 1500 with ft² → m². The calculation is 1500 × 0.09290304.
Result: 139.35456
Call it 139 m². Check whether the 1500 ft² is carpet or built-up area before comparing.
Farm plot from hectares to acres
Inputs: 5, From ha, To acre
Enter 5 with ha → acre. 5 × 10,000 = 50,000 m², divided by 4046.8564224 m² per acre.
Result: 12.35526907
About 12.36 acres.
Use cases
- Comparing an apartment advertised in square feet with one listed in square metres.
- Converting agricultural land records between acres and hectares for a loan or subsidy form.
- Estimating flooring or turf quantities when the product is sold per m² but your plan is in ft² or yd².
- Checking a geography homework answer that gives a country or lake area in km².
- Translating US carpet prices quoted per square yard into a per-m² comparison.
Tips & limitations
- If a converted flat area looks ten times too small, you probably used a length factor instead of an area factor elsewhere.
- 1 m² ≈ 10.764 ft² and 1 ha ≈ 2.471 acres are handy for mental checks.
- Confirm whether a listing quotes carpet, built-up or super built-up area.
- For regional units like kanal or marla, find the official m² definition for your district first.
- Round land areas to the precision of the survey, not to every digit shown.
FAQ
How many square feet are in a square metre?
About 10.7639. It is 1 ÷ 0.09290304, the reciprocal of the exact ft² factor.
How many acres is one hectare?
1 ha = 10,000 ÷ 4046.8564224 ≈ 2.4710538 acres.
Does the tool support kanal, marla or bigha?
No. Those units are defined differently across Pakistan and India (a marla can be 225 ft² or 272.25 ft², for example). Convert your local unit to ft² or m² using your area’s official definition, then use this tool for the rest.
Why does an acre equal exactly 4046.8564224 m²?
An acre is defined as 43,560 square feet and the international foot is exactly 0.3048 m. 43,560 × 0.09290304 gives 4046.8564224 with no rounding.
Is a square kilometre the same as 100 hectares?
Yes. 1 km² = 1,000,000 m² and 1 ha = 10,000 m², so 1 km² = 100 ha.
Can I enter dimensions instead of an area?
This tool converts an existing area. Multiply length by width first (in the same unit), then convert the product.
Results are calculated from the values you enter. Double-check measurements and allow a margin before buying materials or making decisions.